Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-11-04
THE SWORD.

THE SWORD.
Something About the Blades Of All Ages
| and Nations.
| New Orlenns Picayune.]
For thousands of years and until the
invention OF gunpowder the sword was
the chief weapon used in battle, A
collection Of the swords of all ages
and all nations would be of extreme in
terest. 1t would embrace the stone
swords of the American aborigines.
pointed and double edged, TWENTY-FIVE
inches long in the blade, which was
With marvellous skill wrought from a
nlnt stone, and of which one of the
most magnificent specimens extant is in
the hne private museum of DIR. Joseph
Jones, of this city. There would DO
a,so the bronze sword of the early
Greeks and of the Teutonic races; the
snort, stout sword of the Romans, with
It's double-edged blade nineteen inches
long OF steel tempered by Celtiberian
smiths, carried to Italy from the Spanish
peninsula; prominent would be the
long two-handed swords of England in
the time Of Richard the Lion, with
blades nearly five feet long, the weapon
being slung to the back and drawn
over the left shoulder. The sword of
Richard naturally suggests the scimitar
OF Saladin with it's Damascus blade
curved like the crescent it so ably
fought for Such collection would
not be complete without the sword of
the South Sea Islander, made of wood,
its edge set with sharks teeth or
splinters of obsidian in serrated rows
terribly formidable when used upon
the naked body of foe.
The sword represents so much war,
history, and romance that it brings up
an endless array of interesting and i'm
posing events. All the early people
used shield to repel attacks with the
sword, but after the Middle Ages the
art OF fencing, probably derived from
India, was developed to such degree
that the shield could be dispensed
with, and the sword became both sword
and shield. All the. readers of the in
comparable romances of Alexander
Dumas will remember the phenomenal
fencing of the celebrated guardsmen.
The Orientals are the only people
who specially sharpen their swords
Their curved blades, made as keen as
razors, are terribly formidable to men
not protected by steel armor. In the
celebrated trial of skill between the
English King and the Saracen Sultan,
as related by the immortal Walter
Scott, the English champion by main
force cleft helmets and chopped
through at one blow an iron mace, while
the Saracen, with his keen blade, cut
through shreds of silk gauze as they
floated through the air. In regard to
the use of sharp blades for weapons,
it is possible that the partiality of the
American negro for a razor is due to
| the presence of the Oriental passion
for keen-bladed swords. It has also
been suggested in this connection that
the razor, except where special statutes
on the subject exist, not being con-
sidered a weapon, could be carried
without suspicion or hindrance, hence
its use by the negro. A correspondent
from India, writing to the English
Mechanic on the wonderful sword
practice with sharp blades, says:
''The quiet dweller in Europe will
scarcely believe the prodigies per-
formed in sword-cutting by these
coarse, Unlocking bits Of curved metal,
costing frequently no more than Is Cd
to 2s. I had shot numerous wild
beasts when was told by an expert
that my hunting education was very
deficient, as I could not handle a
scimitar to stop my game. was told
to exercise continually on pillar of
soft clay, and thus acquire the drawing
cut at the proper part of the blade !;
then on pillar loosely stuffed with
cotton; then on newly-killed wildcat
or jackal, kneaded previous to the
practice by the feet of heavy man
till the carcass became loose, soft
mass; then on great pond carp, fish
clad with heavy, horny scales, like
elastic mail-considered as AL feat to
test man and sword. My first trial at
this experiment resulted in triple
fracture of the good blade, sundry
scales flying in the air, uncut, only dis
lodged; then the artistic t01tr de force
at paper cones placed on table, and
muslin thrown up to height-all
manner of strange and difficult tasks,
which being only ornamental, 1
eventually forsook for the useful and
more easy decapltation OF fierce quad
rupeds, beginning with wounded wild
hog of full growth, and on essaying
the sloping stroke behind the ears,
sweeping off the head neatly, that i'm
portant part dropping between the
forefeet. Not long before had seen
q bold young Ghooraka dismount from
his elephant, leaving it standing to
await his return, and follow on foot
alone an immense boar he had wounded
with his rifle. On nearing the power
full brute, it champed its foamy tusk to
charge. He drew his kokre Cor Nepau-
lese sword, and as it sprang at him
the blade was buried across piggy's
back, all but severing him in two
parts"
The sword in modern warfare is get
ting to be mere badge of Office, and a
proposition is said some time ago to
have been made to strip the infantry
officer in the French army OF his sword
and give him something to shoot with
The manufacture of swords all over
the world is represented to have de-
clined visiblv, and it is stated that
| there ia not in the United States to-day